Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Yeah, I'm Late: AI Traded to Nuggets

Well, that's one way to make up for not having Carmelo Anthony's NBA-leading scoring average for the next 14 games: Trade for a 30-plus ppg scorer.

Did the Sixers get back 50 cents on the dollar for AI? Eh...maybe. I like Andre Miller, even though he's not particularly flashy. But at least he's a classic PG. Joe Smith? Not so much. The real wild card are those two first-round picks in 2007 in an insanely deep draft*; that's what a rebuilding team needs -- and, finally, the Sixers can claim to "officially" be in rebuilding mode.**

As for the Nuggets: Sure they get AI, but I'm not convinced that he'll coexist gracefully with Carmelo, who had just shown he was coming into his own as an elite scorer before the sucker punch last weekend. Two 30-ppg scorers on one team? Something's gotta give... or is that some ONE. And whoever that is won't be happy.

(Meanwhile, let me call it right now that the powder-blue Iverson Nuggets jersey will lead the NBA in sales for the rest of the season.)

32 comments:

I think the nuggets get a steal in this trade but it does put them in Salary Cap hell for a few years. They better be able to win with what they've got. I think 'Melo's scoring will drop and so will Iverson's. I don't think there will be any problem with them co-existing. Iverson has always been a good teammate, and plays his heart out. He can be on my team anyday.

While I think AI would've been better suited with a superstar who doesn't dominate the ball as much (Brand, KG), this can only help the Nuggets. If we've learned anything from watching AI over the years, we can expect him to be un-frickin-believable the rest of the season. Here's the big question: Does he still play for the Eastern All Stars if voted a starter?

Keith, obviously you don't know too much about the 2007 draft class. It's supposed one of the best drafts in a while because of them stopping high school seniors from entering. As for Hansborough, there is a good chance that he will be there with that 2nd pick which should be in the early 20's. This class is deep. Oden, Horford, Noah, McRoberts, Splitter, Wright, Arthur, Durant are all bigs who will probably be selected before you here Hansboroughs name.

I really think it's a great trade for both. You land AI, one of the best players in the league if you are the Nuggets and instantly boost your cred in the West. But I really think the 76ers got a lot for Iverson. People we talking about them getting 50 cents on the dollar or whatever, but two number 1 picks plus an above average point guard. Great trade all the way around.

Iverson won't get along with Karl? I think this might actually be a perfect fit. If I remember correctly, Karl's time with Gary Payton turned out OK. But I forgot, Payton's not a thug because he isn't known for having tattoos and trying to rap. He (Payton) did almost get in a shooting match (literally) with Nate McMillan in the Sonics locker room once, but Iverson's the devil. How's that work? Bubba Chuck and Melo is going to work out just fine.

It was never brought up, but I think AI would've fit nicely in Orlando with Howard. Having Iverson there would've allowed Howard to develop some low post moves while he cleaned up all of AI's misses or collected a ton of dump offs for easy in the paint points. And I guess the Magic could've sent Grant Hill and some other things back to the Sixers. Just some random thoughts.

I like AI, think he is a great player, but last thing I want if Im Nuggets is having a young star with tremendous potential who already has a tendency for breaking rules (not just fighting but techs) having AI as a teammate for the next 2-3 years. Karl is in trouble, he may want to go ahead and bring Larry Brown in now as an assistant just to have another set of eyes watching.

I really think this could have worked... had Melo not gotten suspended. But now that AI will have 13 or 14 games to establish himself as the #1 guy on the team, what the hell will happen when Melo comes back? Mark your calendars--that will be a fun day.

The suspension may actually benefit the transition - Karl will have AI and 'Melo for a month in practice to figure out how to play together. Then he can unleash them on the rest of the league. Look for a late-winter spurt from the Nuggets.

I actually think that the Sixers did really well with this. They will get three good young players next year, or they could package a couple of the picks to move up. And if, by some miracle, they land Oden, they will look like geniuses. Plus they now have a true point guard to run the show. In the pitiful East, depending on who they pick up, they may actually be able to get into the playoffs next year.

The suspension may actually benefit the transition - Karl will have AI and 'Melo for a month in practice to figure out how to play together. Then he can unleash them on the rest of the league. Look for a late-winter spurt from the Nuggets.

I actually think that the Sixers did really well with this. They will get three good young players next year, or they could package a couple of the picks to move up. And if, by some miracle, they land Oden, they will look like geniuses. Plus they now have a true point guard to run the show. In the pitiful East, depending on who they pick up, they may actually be able to get into the playoffs next year.

The suspension may actually benefit the transition - Karl will have AI and 'Melo for a month in practice to figure out how to play together. Then he can unleash them on the rest of the league. Look for a late-winter spurt from the Nuggets.

I actually think that the Sixers did really well with this. They will get three good young players next year, or they could package a couple of the picks to move up. And if, by some miracle, they land Oden, they will look like geniuses. Plus they now have a true point guard to run the show. In the pitiful East, depending on who they pick up, they may actually be able to get into the playoffs next year.

The suspension may actually benefit the transition - Karl will have AI and 'Melo for a month in practice to figure out how to play together. Then he can unleash them on the rest of the league. Look for a late-winter spurt from the Nuggets.

I actually think that the Sixers did really well with this. They will get three good young players next year, or they could package a couple of the picks to move up. And if, by some miracle, they land Oden, they will look like geniuses. Plus they now have a true point guard to run the show. In the pitiful East, depending on who they pick up, they may actually be able to get into the playoffs next year.

The suspension may actually benefit the transition - Karl will have AI and 'Melo for a month in practice to figure out how to play together. Then he can unleash them on the rest of the league. Look for a late-winter spurt from the Nuggets.

I actually think that the Sixers did really well with this. They will get three good young players next year, or they could package a couple of the picks to move up. And if, by some miracle, they land Oden, they will look like geniuses. Plus they now have a true point guard to run the show. In the pitiful East, depending on who they pick up, they may actually be able to get into the playoffs next year.

Don't be shocked if the sixers are able to package those three picks for a much higher pick in the draft (if they don't win the lottery anyway)

Do the sixers have any more tradable expiring contracts they could potentially make another move with these pieces for a big name guy. Send two picks a young stud and an expiring contract for a superstar to replace iverson...it could happen, but probably won't

This isn't the NFL. Nbad Draft picks in the 20's don't have nearly as much value. Teams can't package and move up, and it's a vrapshoot as to whether or not these players will be decent NBA players. For every Josh Howard or Boris Diaw, there are 10 Maciej Lampes, Qyntel Woods and Kareem Rush's. It takes forever to build with low draft picks (witness the Celtics).

It doesn't matter how deep the draft is, those picks are going to be a crapshoot. That's all they could get for Iverson???

What's there? two bonafide *good* players (Howard, Diaw), two serviceable players (Walton, Barbosa) out of 13 players picked. While you could strike gold, the percentages indicate you're not going to help your team with those picks (which is why you can't package and move up).

The Sixers needed to grab a young player who has already proven that he can play in the NBA and that had the potential to be a star - not take the draft chance themselves.

well it hs been discussed ad nauseum already. My initial reaction was that the nuggets aren't the best fit for iversen (and it doesn't matter that I think it would have been the clippers), but the nuggets will cetainly be better off for it. As for them being contenders for the crown, well, I'm not sure where their defense is going to come from (although camby is a good guy to have protecting your back). It will be interesting; I think they'll be okay if they can get iversen comfortable with the notion that he should only have the ball for 5 seconds, at a maximum, before moving the ball; none of the clear out and drive stuff.

I think they have to deal boykins, now, in my opinion, as had been discussed for a while, because iversen is on the court for 45 minutes a game, and you cannot have both of 'em on the court at the same time (there are limits to 'going small').

As for the sixers, my initial reaction was that king did okay by himself, because compared to some of the deals that were being discussed, this is better (getting cap space, miller and two picks). But he could have done better, as keithsrk says. Basically I think King was getting nervous, thinking he couldn't drive up a huge market at the beginning of the sale, and he was worried, like in real estate, that the longer he held out, the less likely he could have gotten a deal. But the NBA ain't the real estate market, because their are fewer commodities out there. Had he thought about it, he would have realized that, at the initial offering, no team was desperate enough to meet his asking price. The first team to become desperate was the Nuggets, and King, being nervous, immediately agreed. If he had waited for other teams to become desperate (because of injuries or the gradual realization that the team was not going to recover and meet expectations this year (such as the clippers or heat)), he might have gotten a better trade. But in comparing the trade he made to the initial market, it looks good; comparing to the market that might have arisen, it may not look so good after all.

But Miller may prove to be a key trading piece. But the best you could really get for him is another expiring contract and another semi-low draft pick. The top 10 draft picks in next years draft are just too valuable chips right now for any team to part with, it appears.

I think the Nuggets actually panicked here and made a bad trade. Philly on the other hand I think got a great deal and benefited from the brawl. The Nuggets had to make the trade because they are sitting in 7th place of the stronger conference, so they overspent in this case.

Don't forget, Philly doesn't actually have to use those 2 first round picks. They can easily trade one of them to several teams, perhaps one that has had no first round picks in the past... such as Minnesota who may be looking to get someone to go with KG if they keep him.

Like most of your reactions to this point. A few observations1) Sixers are all but guaranteed a top 5 pick in the draft (sick ppl should be available)...

2) Sixers will have 2 late first rounders, they can either a- use them becuse they are rebuilding... or b- trade them to a team for a mid 1st rounder...

3) Andre Miller is the key to this whole thing ... Philly just got something they haven't had in forever ... a solid PG who passes, passes, passes ... I may be wrong but Miller is averaging like 9 asst/gm ... watch for AI2's numbers to go up also .... and if they want, they can package Miller for even more picks ... what playoff contender in need of a pg wouldn't want miller?

So the Sixers will have 3 first round picks in one of the deepest drafts in NBA history? I don't care about Andre Miller and Joe Smith at this point, the Sixers can totally start over and build around young guys that will be good in 3-5 years if they stay together.

And hey, at least Ivan McFarlin can be an answer to a trivia question someday.

King doesn't come off as bad as I thought. Cap space, two extra first round picks (they might lose their other pick if their record is good) and Andre Miller.

Most importantly, he traded AI to the Western Conference where his success will be less embarassing. Denver clearly increased their package deal when Melo was suspended. And Philly gets a fresh start. It just wasn't working, and I blame King, but for King's part, he finally started over.

I don't think a summer trade works as well because AI wasn't desperate to leave and other teams weren't desperate enough to improve.

I'm just wondering how AI does outside of Philly. It's been a long time, on a personal level, since he was outside that...um... septic tank is the only word that seems to fit.

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